Massive funding to push forward Cambridge cancer research

18 December 2016

Leading-edge research being undertaken on cancer diagnosis and treatment at Cambridge is set to receive a massive boost.

Cancer Research UK, which runs a network of 15 Cancer Research Centres around the UK, has pledged to invest a substantial £41 million over five years in its Cambridge centre. Through the research hubs, the charity aims to bring together researcher, medical practitioners, and industry experts on the front line of research into the disease.

“This is an exciting collaboration of researchers, scientists, and clinicians from Cancer Research UK, the University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as well as the pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies across the city," said Professor Richard Gilbertson, the centre’s director, while speaking to Varsity.

He added: "It’s an alliance that allows us to make use of a wide range of expertise and techniques that can help progress cancer research and bring benefits to patients sooner. Our mission is to end death and disease caused by cancer through research, treatment and education.”

According to reports, the money will be invested in pushing forward programmes pursued by the Centre's researchers, developing critical core infrastructure, as well as launching a complete revamp of the existing PHD programme. Anchored in the University's strengths in the physical, biological, and engineering sciences, the funding is mean to bring these research investigators together to work on new technological and therapeutic strategies to detect and treat cancer. The centre is also one of the University’s Strategic Research Initiatives, and involves 607 University members based in 24 departments, including Addenbrooke’s Hospital.